I really didn't know how I hadn't noticed it before. I wasn't sure for how long it was hanging above the horizon before I finally did notice it, but I had some manner of defending myself.

One, my mind might have thought that the tiny speck in the air was something hanging off my eyelash for a while. Two, I might have thought it was a cloud. Third, and more importantly: it was Link's fault.

I could have blamed myself, sure! But why would I? It was obvious that about as soon as he noticed it, which was likely as soon as it had entered our field of vision, he elected not to tell me about it. He just let me go on, riding along that road at his side, not noticing his pointed glances towards it and even still, he chose not to bring my attention to it.

Like one speck of rogue paint on a perfectly detailed canvas, it was now all that I could see. It was a blot where there should have been more sky, an imperfection in Hylia's beautiful and golden sphere of life.

When at last I did notice it, I gasped, and if I could omit the fact that I nearly fell off of Sky, I would have (but Link wasn't going to let me forget it, I'm sure). He was only just able to reach out and snag my leg, and I was only just able to keep a firm hold on the reins. Half suspended off my horse, having slipped out of the saddle, I was now on her sideways, and she snorted rather distastefully. I scrambled to climb back onto her back, and Link helped as best he could while remaining seated comfortably in his own saddle. When I was comfortable once more, I let go of the reins with one hand and smoothed out my hair with a huff, lifting the loose hairs up and away from my face.

"Don't you dare laugh," was what I said first, because even as I looked away, I knew he still had that goofy grin on his face. "Don't."

"I'm not," he said, trying to reassure me - but it didn't work.

I turned my head only so far to be able to glance at him sidelong, and I used the word glance liberally - I glared at him. But because he knew that while it wasn't playful that I was only glaring because I was embarrassed, his smile only grew. He let one hand come to rest on the horn of his saddle, the reins looped around his wrist, and the other resting on his thigh. I kept my gaze on his own, hoping he might be fooled into thinking that this really was all his fault without me having to explain how it was.

I knew right away that it wouldn't work, and so I sighed. "How long were you going to let me go without noticing it, Link?"

"I was going to tell you soon," he said, and I pursed my lips, because he couldn't possibly believe I was stupid enough to believe that, right? I didn't think he did, and thankfully that was proven by the fact he kept that same stupid smile on his lips. "I honestly can't believe you didn't pick up on it right away. I thought you were more perceptive than that."

"I'm not dignifying that with a response. What is it?"

"Well," he said, "that is a good question, isn't it?"

"That'd be why I asked it, Link. From here it looks like a... big rock. But in the sky. But that's stupid, right?"

"Maybe," he said, looking up at it as well. Truthfully, there was some dynamism to it, some finer details. It was clear that details and edges and curves were there, but from here I couldn't tell what they were. "Would you believe me if I told you that I put it there?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"So... that's a no, then?"

"That's a no, Link."

"Maybe this ought to convince you," Link said right away, simultaneously pulling on Epona's reins and dismounting.

She knew to stop, and all three of us girls watched as Link scrambled off the road and into the thicket below. Somewhere nearby, a small creek bubbled past, and elsewhere there was a particularly incessant bird that wouldn't stop chirping, but neither of us went anywhere as we listened to Link rummage around in the thicket for a moment.

When he emerged and clambered back onto the dirt road, packed down with use, I wondered what could have been so important, or how he could possibly even begin to fool me into thinking he could get something to stay suspended in the air. He stood just a few feet from me as I sat still atop my horse, looking up at me expectantly.

"Alright," I said, deciding to humor him. "I'll bite. What do you have for me, hero?"

I turned in the saddle then dropped down to the dirt easily. Patting Sky just once on the neck, she and Epona knew they were free for a moment, so they nickered gently to each other, touched noses, then waited patiently and made the most of this brief moment of rest and respite.

On the other hand, I came to stand just in front of Link who looked about as excited as a dog waiting to play fetch. Instead of dropping a stick at my feet to throw, he held a rock towards me. Well, that wasn't much different, now was it? I accepted it, because clearly he was offering, and I tested the weight of it against my palm.

I glanced at Link briefly, wondering what he wanted me to do.

...maybe he was more like a dog than I thought, because he did look like he wanted me to throw it. He was giving me puppy dog eyes in a way I hadn't anticipated a man to be able to do, and I was altogether shocked that the silly comparison I made in my head was more accurate than I realized. If he had a tail, it would surely be wagging, though surely it would falter as his head actually tilted to the side - like a dog confused as to why I hadn't thrown it yet.

"(Y/n)?"

"Mm?"

"Throw the rock, please."

Temporarily stumped by this turn of events, I took a moment to let it register before shaking my head and coming to my senses. I knew from the start that this boy was weird, but perhaps in another life he was a dog because was certainly very good at those puppy dog eyes.

I wound back, watching as - instead of bracing himself to chase after it - he took his slate in hand. Thinking nothing of it, I threw the rock as far as I could. It went quite a distance with quite an impressive arc and I smiled determinedly. If there was any proof I'd built up some kind of strength being out here, it was this. And hell, I bet I could skip a rock a whole lot farther than I used to be able to and-

The rock stopped.

Chains of gold, yet immaterial and shimmering like heat waves off of sand, materialized and locked onto the rock from every angle. They went away with a stunning burst of golden light and there the rock stayed, perfectly still.

"Um..., Link?"

"Yes, (Y/n)?"

"What happened to the rock?"

"I stopped it in midair."

"Why?"

"To prove I can do it."

"But... why?"

"Because saying as much wouldn't get you to believe me."

"True."

"..."

"..."

"(Y/n)?"

"Yes, Link?"

"Are you ok?"

"The rock's still floating there."

"It won't be long now," he explained, looking up at it, too. Sure enough, there was a repeating blink of golden light, slow for now, but with a few passing seconds it got faster, and faster - it was a warning.

"What's it going to do when that... timer ends?"

"Oh, that's easy," Link said. "So, whatever momentum it had built up was stored, right, and held within it. That stone is frozen in time, completely and wholly - so when the timer is up, the rock will... Oh, no!"

"No! Link, do something!"

As the blinks got faster and faster, an unassuming bird got closer and closer. It was an innocent little thing, a songbird that was surely going home to its chicks with a meal and... and it was about to get hit!

I was about to... I had thrown it... That's not right!

"Link," I repeated, watching him try to figure out what could possibly be done and honestly, that was a great thing to consider right now, so I thought about it too, and... "Ah!"

I shrieked, ducking close to Link just as there was the loud shaking and rattling of invisible chains, releasing the rock to the rules of the mortal realm once more. Standing next to him as I was, I was able to press myself to him, hiding my face against his neck. I couldn't watch as something I did indirectly kill a bird, an innocent creature, one that didn't know what it had coming to it, because how could it possibly, and though he'd frozen it, the rock was something I had thrown, and-

"Oh, thank goodness," Link said, and for a moment I was still too afraid to look because what if this was a cruel ruse?

Link seemed to take note of my continued trepidation and he chuckled, and I could so acutely hear the sound through his chest as rumbling against my own. He set his hand on the small of my back, the slight weight reassuring and comforting, somehow. He was warm, I could tell even through my own tunic. And yet I still didn't have it in me to look.

"(Y/n)," he said softly, ducking his head down so I might hear him better, which was altogether unnecessary because I was Hylain like he was, so I had the trademark pointed ears which did allow for such acute hearing. "It's alright. The bird is fine. It's flying off there, see?"

Link grasped my other hand, one which had inadvertently and unconsciously latched onto his tunic and gripped a handful of it tight. He smoothed my hand out, easing the tension from them and I began to relax, finally enticed to pry myself from him and look. Following where he now pointed with the hand that had grasped my own, I watched that same songbird fly off... completely unharmed.

My heart swelled with relief, then sunk with confusion. "Did it fly around it?"

"It had already passed by the time the rock was released," he explained, and that was a completely normal string of words, surely. Maybe I had to get better at this - I would have to learn to expect the unexpected as I traveled alongside him. Honestly, the fact I hadn't already was my own fault entirely.

Relieved the bird was fine, I rounded on Link, who seemed to anticipate this already and crossed his arms over his chest, protecting himself from the flimsy and half-assed whacks I was throwing at him. "Link," I huffed. "You're such a pain!"

"How so this time?"

"You almost... I almost... No, you almost made me kill a bird!"

"And how'd I do that?"

"You know exactly how," I pressed, pressing my hands to his forearms and shoving him. He stumbled back only a step, but he had this wide grin on his face. "You're not taking this seriously!"

"Of course not," he said with a laugh. "The bird's fine, right? And besides, it would've been both our fault, not just yours! See, just like adventuring, we share the burden and-"

"That's not helping!"

"Easy there," he said, allowing me to push him back further, only for him to uncross his arms and grab my hands. As he stepped back, I was left with no choice but to follow, and I did so begrudgingly. "So worked up over a bird that we know is fine? You know, I've been meaning to come up with a nickname for you, so maybe this is perfect! Do you feel a connection to that bird there, little bird?"

"Nickname?" I asked, now completely focused on that and not on the rising embarrassment that had traveled up through my body as the realization that he was teasing me over something that he thought was so simple but was so awful to me. "Why do you want a nickname for me?"

"Because you've got one for me," he said easily, drawing me in closer. He released my hands, slipping them instead into his pockets and I crossed my own over my chest as I considered his words. "You call me hero."

"That's because you are one," I countered easily. "It's like a title."

"No," he said, shaking his head with a knowing smirk. "If that was the case, you'd call me Sir Knight or a hero. You just call me hero."

"Oh," I said, thinking about it. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"So," he continued, "I need a nickname for you."

"Technically, you don't need one."

"I want one, though."

I couldn't help but smile. "And you thought little bird was a good one to start with?"

"Well, I'll try some out," he said, laughing a little.

"I don't sing," I told him, turning and heading back towards the horses who were still waiting patiently for us, though they had wandered into a grassy knoll for a bite to eat. Whistling a little, I called them back to us, and they came obediently. Sky met me on the path and Epona trotted up to Link, who greeted her with a gentle pet beneath her chin.

"Like, at all?"

"No, not really," I said. "Sometimes I hum while I work, but I don't really sing."

"True," he said, mounting up just as I settled myself into my own saddle. "I have noticed that about you." He paused for a moment, kicking into Epona's sides to urge her into a walk and, when we were alongside each other, I hardly had to prompt Sky into following suit but did so anyway. "Oh, I got one! Hummingbird, then! How do you like that one?"

"I think you ought to try a new one," I said with a smirk, glancing his way briefly.

That was when, so far away, lightning struck the earth. We saw the flash, and in a few moments thunder was sure to follow. The horses perked up, and I knew it was going to be a good idea to seek shelter before the storm.

"We should get going," I prompted gently, and Link nodded.

"Come on," Link said. "Let's see if we can't reach the Outskirt Stable before the storm rolls in, little bird."

I rolled my eyes, but brought Sky into a canter anyway, following Link's lead.

—

As trained, he was following the princess from a few paces back. This far back, he was able to keep a close eye on her, yet grant her the ability to lead. She liked that, he had come to learn for himself. To lead, to have some stock in what she was doing and some measure of control... she longed for it, for she had gone her whole life a princess unable to decide anything for herself.

They were heading east. If the sun was rising, it would be brilliant over the expanse of Hyrule Field, but it had already come up and so it beat down rather mercilessly upon the land. It was a warm day, incredibly so.

"From here," Princess Zelda said, "we'll make our way to Goron City." The Sheikah Slate was held in both of her hands, and she was looking at its screen intently - so much so that she didn't seem to be paying attention to her surroundings as she went. That's what he was here for, he supposed. And so he remained vigilant, listening to her even as he kept a close eye on their surroundings. The only thing he might not be able to protect her from, perhaps, was if she tripped.

"Then," she continued, "we'll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible. He's figured out how to get it to move... However, it's apparent that we still have much more to learn."

Thankfully, his legs were longer than hers, so that even for her hurried pace, he was able to keep up with her easily. This wasn't supposed to be a leisurely sort of stroll, of course it wasn't, but surely she could find it in her to slow down a bit?

"But to think," she said, "that Divine Beast was actually built by people..."

Yes, that was incredible. It took knowledge of machinations and physics and a mastery of imagination and engineering that Link could never hope to acquire. He was a fighter, nothing more and nothing less. That was his station, that was his place in this fight.

"That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage," she theorized, finally looking up from the screen. "These Divine Beasts... so much we don't know... But if we want to turn back the Calamity Ganon, they're our best hope."

She slowed her pace, and for a moment he thought she might have heard his thoughts, that maybe she should slow down for a moment to appreciate the scenery... and yet she stopped entirely.

And so did he.

He could tell by her body language alone that she was troubled. But he had grown up surrounded by fighters, so he didn't know what to do. Should he reach out? Should he call to her? Should he do anything at all?

He did nothing, and he got his answer, because she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Tell me the truth," she prompted. "How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back? Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet... hero?"

—

I knew by now that the thing in the sky was Vah Medoh, the Divine Beast of the Rito. It took a lot of cajoling, but Link had finally told me. It seemed that no matter how far we rode on, getting closer and closer, the Beast still seemed impossibly far. It remained a speck on the horizon, but at least by now it seemed far more tangible than it once was.

I also knew by now that something about these unassuming birch trees in this unassuming birch forest was familiar to Link, and it called to him. And so now here I sat once more, idle and silent as Link got lost in yet another memory. I took to sitting in the grass, my legs outstretched in front of me. I was lazed back against my hands, watching angry clouds roll through the sky.

The storm was getting closer.

It'd start to rain soon.

But for now, I could do nothing more than sit here, and I was content doing so because as was customary with big summer storms, there was a cool, brisk breeze rolling through, followed by waves of warm air. I let myself enjoy it, giving into the rapid temperature changes. I watched the wind blow through the leaves, and leaves fall loose off their branches and brush past the trunks.

I watched the horses graze nearby - I'd taken their halters off so they could do so more comfortably, and had taken their saddles off too - and I watched them check in with each other regularly. They grazed alongside each other, and I knew they were grateful for the rest. The wind blew through their manes and tails, and on occasion a leaf might land on them. Sky would flick them from her rear with her tail, and Epona would flick her ears, and sometimes it would land in their hair - and they'd lift their head, give a little shake to knock it loose, then be back to grazing.

When Epona noticed me looking their way, she lifted her head, her mouth full of grass. As she munched, she nickered towards me, and I smiled at her. "You're sweet for checking in, Epona," I said genuinely, hoping she could understand me. "Wish Sky would do the same sometime."

Knowing I was talking about her, Sky snorted and flicked her tail, resolutely turning away from me entirely, and I chuckled. "Stubborn thing," I said to myself, and Epona turned her dark eyes from mine and continued to graze.

I closed my eyes as a particularly pleasant breeze rolled through, and I enjoyed it for as long as the moment lasted, knowing that warm air was sure to rush in to replace it soon. I missed it though, unintentionally forgetting about it all at once as Link gasped, coming back to his senses.

I gathered my feet beneath me and stood, making sure to approach him slowly just in case he wasn't altogether back yet. "Link," I called gently, coming to a stop a few steps away from him. "Are you alright, hero?"

"Hero," was the first word he grasped onto, and he lifted his head, still working on catching his breath. "You call me hero."

"Yes," I said uncertainly. "I'm sorry, does it make you uncomfortable? I can stop, I just hadn't realized-"

"No," he said right away, searching my face intently for something. "You're not related to the royal family, are you?"

"No," I said right away, searching his face intently for something. "What's wrong? What... What did you see?"

"Her face is becoming clearer in my memory," he said, and I knew who he was referring to without him needing to say her name.

"Princess Zelda," I said anyway, if only just to confirm it, and he nodded.

"You don't have the same eyes," he told me surely, and he nodded once more. "Sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for," I said. "Just... Why bring that up? Did Princess Zelda... Did she call you that, too?"

"Yes," he told me, and at that, my heart sank, and all at once, I felt like I had just gotten caught with something that was not mine.

"I'm so sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't know. I won't call you that anymore, Link. I'm just sorry to have-"

"I didn't say that," he cut in. "It... When she said it, it sounded forced, and almost... almost spiteful. No, not that far. I don't know what to call it. But it sounded strange, coming from her."

"I don't understand," I said, shaking my head.

"I like when you call me that," he said, his blue eyes soft and unwavering. "It sounds genuine." He got this faraway look in his eyes, and I was glad when he looked away, for it gave the slight reprieve I needed to take a breath and make sure my embarrassment did not show on my face. "Little bird... that sounds familiar, too."

Ah. Maybe that was what he called her. Perhaps it was something else entirely. But like so much else about him... it was hard to know for sure, and we might not ever know.

"I don't think I ever said it though," he mumbled, then shook his head. He looked up, finally seeming like himself again - and his eyes narrowed at the sky. "Dammit," he said. "I know we were trying to hurry... I'm sorry for getting us caught up in this, (Y/n)."

"It's fine," I said. "You couldn't help it. Let's just get going now, see if we can't find some shelter."

"Right," he said, going to where I'd left the saddles. He grabbed Sky's first, helping me set it atop her back, then as I secured Sky's halter, he set his own saddle atop Epona. After ensuring everything was as it should be, we mounted up and once more, took off.

We hurried through that forest of birch, heading west - away from Lake Kolomo, and towards Aquame Lake.With a quick peek at Link's map, one he checked often to ensure we were still heading the right way to the stable he noted, it seemed as though the lake itself curled around a mass of land, like a horseshoe. I looked up from the map to see what sort of structure might be on such a strange looking bit of landmass, and I was struck by the sight - we were suddenly in the shadow of a large building. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looked like-

"A coliseum," Link noted, looking up at it right away, a grave look in his eyes. "Best to avoid that."

"Hm? Why? It was a hotspot for trials in the past, but surely it's empty now?"

"A sound theory," he agreed, "but no. I wandered into one, once. I thought it was empty, but found myself facing a Lynel. It was hidden in the shadows and waited until my back was turned, focused on some treasure."

It was stupid to ask if he made it out alright. The answer was obvious because he was here and alive and well. But I had to ask anyway.

"And what happened? Were you alright?"

"It was a tough fight," he told me. "Really tough. Lynels are incredibly strong. But in the end, I managed to escape."

"You escaped?"

"Barely," he said, and it appeared as though he had taken my question at face value. I was shocked he had needed to escape - that this creature was strong enough to force him to flee... that he had not been able to slay it.

My hands unconsciously gripped the reins a little quicker. Perhaps it was best we avoided it, and at all costs.

"Link," I said, trying to change the topic, "what are the Rito like? They have a rich history."

"I don't remember much about them honestly," he said, and I was grateful he was just as happy to change the subject as I was. I only just got over the fright of Guardians, mostly - thinking of Lynels might be a bit too much for now. "Have you met any?"

"No," I answered. "I don't think I have, anyway. But honestly, apparently I didn't even know what village I was born in, so I can't say for sure."

"We've got that in common, anyway," he said, smiling over at me, and I found it in myself to smile, too.

If there was comfort to be found in our situations, it was the comparisons drawn to each other, which in turn drew us to each other.

"From what I do remember," he finally continued, "they're a very isolated race, if only because Rito Village is so hard to reach. But they have lots of stories to tell, and they're quite hospitable once you reach them. Of course, of the Rito I remember, the Champion wasn't exactly... good with people."

The way he said it made it sound personal, and I laughed a little.

"Not good with people, or not good with you?"

"Not good with me," he answered with a grimace.

"Revali," I said. "I remember asking you about him before. You really don't seem too fond of him."

"He wasn't fond of me first," he argued childishly, and my smile grew.

"Mm-hm," I hummed indulgently. "And how could anyone possibly not like the hero?"

"That's exactly why he hated me," Link answered, looking right at me, now. "The fact that I got to watch the princess, the fact that I had the sword, the fact that I was destined to be who I was. It was simply... asinine!"

Well, that word had been chosen pointedly, but I didn't understand it. "Good word, there. Was that something he said a lot, then?"

"I think so," Link said. "I don't... I don't remember, actually. It just felt right."

"You're so strange," I said, laughing more. Truthfully, I'd read lots of books about the Champions, and I always thought that in his portraits, the Rito Champion had seemed confident and self-assured. I figured the word pompous might have fit him a bit better, if what Link was saying was true. "A different perspective of you, though... I think I'd have liked to meet him."

"Hey," he said, looking at me with so much offense I almost thought it was real, "that's not a nice thing to say!"

"Oops," I said, not missing it when Link's eyes narrowed in on something over my shoulder. He grinned. "Link?"

"I think I see something shiny," he said, urging Epona to turn. "Come on, (Y/n). It might be treasure!"

"Oh, boy," I said, realizing as I followed after him that he just might have forgotten about the impending storm. And for a little while anyway, I forgot all about it, too.